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This is from Lycia Trouton of Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC), Grande Prairie, AlbertaFriday October 4th Sisters In Spirit Walk and Candlelight Vigil atGrande Prairie Regional College, Grande Prairie, Northern Alberta, followed by a candlelight vigil, dinner, testimonials and a traditional dance and circle at Grande Prairie Friendship Centre in the city.

Elder in Residence to the College, Leonard Cardinal (Woodland Cree) led the procession. He carried a sacred female eagle staff, wrapped in a shawl-blanket.

Susan Bansgrove, originally from Australia (an immigrant to Canada in her teens) and GPRC Vice President Academics and Research gave one of the speeches by digintaries at the Opening.

The first of its kind in Canada, the GPRC Friendship Centre opened to students and staff in September 2000 and expanded with a new grand opening in 2003. The Centre is a partnership between GPRC and the Grande Prairie Frendship Centre in the city.

One of the students at the college was speechless in recounting the recent national news horror story by which her own mother had died in Yellowknife earlier this year. See CBC news link, which stated: "Yellowknife RCMP are asking for the public’s help in their investigation into the murder of a woman on a downtown street in December.mi-yvonne-desjarlaisYvonne Desjarlais, 63, of Lutselk’e, N.W.T., was found dead in Yellowknife the morning of Dec. 30. Police are still investigating Desjarlais' murder and ask anyone with information to contact them.

Yvonne Desjarlais, 63, of Lutselk’e, N.W.T."

Aboriginal Liaison Coordinator, Amanda Ferguson, helped the student orate her personal letter in a moving testimonial time period after dinner.